Pliers.



W. I. KEARNEY.

PLIERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I3. IBIZ- Patenteahl 9, 1918.

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v, enrrnn STATES rarnn'r orriwi I WILLIAMJ. KEARNEY, OFIDES ivromns, IOWA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'July 9,

rAp'p'licationfiledAugust 13,1917. Seria1No.185,9 32.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatfl. WILLIAM J. KEARNEY, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Des Moines, in the cou'ntv'of Polk and State ofv Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Pliers of which the following is a specification. Y v

The object of my invention is to provide a tool of the general type of ,a pair of pliers, having 'pivoted,f relatively "movable jaw members which may be readily and easily set in any position of their adjustment, whereby'the device may be made to ,servelas awrench. f" j L IA further object is 'to'provide such a de vice having parts so constructed and arranged that the pressure of the handles toward each other serves to lock the jaw members in their then position, and also so arranged that upon the release of the handles the jaw members will be automatically unlocked.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims,

and illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a pair of pliers embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows a detail view of the ratchet pin device, and

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numerals 10 and 11 to indicate the jaws of my improved tool, which may be of any desirable size and shape. The jaw 10 is preferably formed integral with a handle 12, and is provided with an angular opening 13 extending through it.

The jaw 11 is pivotally connected at 14 with a handle 15. The jaw 11 is provided with an opening 16, forming a bearing and having anenlarged portion 17 to receive the ratchet hereinafter mentioned.

I provide a ratchet pin device comprising a ratchet wheel 18 received in the opening 17, as shown in Fig. 4. Formed on the ratchet 18 is a cylindrical extension 19 reeeived in the opening 16: Extending away from the extension19 is an angular shaft member 20 received in the opening 13. It Will be seenthat onaccount of the angular shape of the member 20 and the opening 13, the ratchet'18 will be caused to move accord ing to'the'movement of the jaw 10 and handle 12.- The free end of the squared shaft 20 may beprovidedwith ahead 21 or other means forretaining the ratchet in position.

The jaw 11 is provided with an opening 22 leading from the opening 17 to the end of the jaw 11 adjacent to the'handle 15. The'opening 22 is provided near its middle with an enlarged portion 23 whichextends to the topof the jaw 11. Received in the opening 22 is a pawl 24, one endof which is designed to coact :with the ratchet 18. The'pawl 24 isprovided with'an-upwardly projecting pin 25. 1 Mounted on the pawl 24 between the'pin 25 and the shoulder formedby the forward end of the enlarged portion 23 of the opening 22, isa coil spring 26 which normally holds the pawl 24 ontof engagement with the ratchet l8. What'I shall call the rear end of the pawl 24,-which is the end'adjacent tothe handle member 15, is normally held by the spring 26' in positionprojecting beyond the jaw member 11 toward the handle 15.

In the practical use of my improved pliers where it is desired to use the tool as a wrench, the handle 15 is held rigidly in position and the handle 12 is moved away therefrom, thereby opening the jaws 10 and 11 until they are in their proper relative positions for use as a wrench. Thereupon the handles 12 and 15 are drawn toward each other. The movement of the handle 15 toward the handle 12 presses the pawl 24 toward and into engagement with the ratchet 18, and as long as the handles 12 and 15 are held pressed toward each other the jaws 11 and 10 will be locked in their relative positions and can be used as a wrench.

When it is desired to release the jaws, al that is necessary is to release the handle 15, whereupon the spring 26 will tend to move the handle 15 away from the handle 12 and to release the jaw members from their locked relation.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my improved pliers without de poses of my invention, and it is my inten tion to cover by this *app'l icatimrany-"moth: fied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be included within patent to"be'" m'eaiis '-fornormally holding said'pawlilout the scope of the claims oi the issued uiieflahie atplieatien.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the are; d'eriba m pair of pivoted jaw 1nemhe1s,ha11d1es thereon, and,, 1"eans whereby the lnoveliieiit of a d a i fit toward" bb oth r n th jaws re; ir ed 1 l .ebi ce ale Sai I (jaws, in their then relative positions so that 1 5 s l n *e the h dl a lg ri i M Id ga rstmpvementa y rq n @91 oth r h j aws cannot bemoyed farther together when thev are on or removed from such anob- 2., II i a; devi'ce offthe class described, a ra r ei ,J'a it i b a a t d' e Q one saidjaw befs' pivemny mounted in the. otherjaw iiierilber; a, handle. on one .,o f said jaw members, a handle pivotally m mma Q1! th he j m mber a p carried other jaw nem'hr an d yielding; means for, holdirigjsaid pa'wl out of engagement with said .ratchet,'the"parts ,heingaso arranged that when said pivoted handle, moved t ward the other handle; it engages 'saidpawl and when said jaw memhers.'e r; red @11 a b i d a pawl ,into, engagement with said ratchet,

:wherehj so'f'lo'iiggas" the jhandle s are ,pressed toward each other, I the jaw members are lo'ck'd against moveinent tow ard" each" other whether ofi or on such an object.

3. I1i'a deViceT-Df2Ltl1e class described, a

pair of jaws, a ratchet device pivoted in one jaw and fixed with relation to the other jaw, 'a'pawl carried by said first jaw, yielding of engagement with said ratchet, a handle fiiid on said s e'coii'd jaw, and a handle pivoted to said firstjzm; and adapted when moved toward said-second jaw to -engage said pawl and; move it into engagement with said ratchet.

4 A pair of pliers comprising a paii of jaws, an' angulai shaft mounted in one; of said jaws having a cylindrical" portion rnountedinv the other ofsaid j aws zand having-onjpneend a ratchet, a; handle oiilthe j aw which re'ceiv sthe angular shaft, 1i adle piv oted to the other jawcataipointon the opposite side, oi its pivotal point from its, gripp'ingmember, a a i vl slida'hIy mount- ,ed in the ma described jaw adapted to covact with said ratchet,-;andwithzsaid Piv '60 oted hanalfegmid a springadapted'to' 1 01a said pawl avvayif qm said ratchetfitlie parts being-so arranged that when the pivoted handle is movedtoward thepther'handle it will engagelsaid fierce? it into engagemenf was said ratchet jar thereby locking said jaws agaiii'st relative.irrevement, v o

, Des'Moines, iowa Auguay1o, 1917-. 

